Elementary, My Dear Semiotics!

            Sherlock consistently conveys senses of mystery, dread, excitement, and humor with more the just the series’ superb dialogue and acting. The creators took their time with each scene that make an in-depth semiotic analysis quite interesting.

            Throughout the episode A Study in Pink, London streets face cloudy skies and downpour after downpour, with most of the shots taking place during the night. The weather fits the mood of the mystery and crime that the episode deals with – gloomy and dreadful. The camera work also goes to great lengths to add to the mood of the characters, shaking ever so slightly in times of intensity and rush, as in the taxi chase scene or Baker Street debate scene between the police and Sherlock, and calming down to more focused and revealing scenes. Sherlock’s own apartment signifies his own characters, filled with many social oddities which serve a detective and logical purpose to him. Finally, architecture conveys senses of protection or lack thereof during the case, a prime example being when Watson finds himself in the empty yet large damp warehouse face to face with a mysterious figure (Mycroft). While Watson may have a calm hand, the sense of unfamiliarity and eeriness the warehouse gives off make the viewer uneasy.

            Watson’s own struggles develop through clever metaphors and symbols. His cane almost acts as a character in its own way, leading into many of Watson’s early shots and being shown left behind as Watson makes the seemingly unaware decision of leaving it behind for a foot chase. The street signs shown as Watson then attempts to make a long jump across a roof – turning to a green WALK sign as he does – cleverly symbolize his accomplishment over his past.

            A paradigmatic analysis shows the fight between the police and Sherlock. Whereas the police go by conventional methods, Sherlock’s more aggressive and involved approaches lead to more correct and fast results, albeit at a dangerous cost.

            Sherlock brings the classic novels into a gritty, modern world wrought with busy streets, technology, and distrust. A close semiotic approach to the episode reveals the cleverness of the creators in twisting the original works into something new and powerful.

Concepts/Applications Chart for “A Study in Pink”
Semiotic Concepts	Applications to “A Study in Pink”
Signifier/signified	Weather – Gloom/Dread Baker Street Apt. – Organized Chaos Camera Work – Frantic or focused Mycroft’s Vast Warehouse – Mystery
Metaphor	Watson’s cane representing his past struggles to break free from
Symbols	The don’t walk/walk street icons which flash during the taxi chase scene symbolizing Watson’s leap forward in his life.
Intertextuality	Sherlock is based on the novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with a modernized twist.
Code	One major code in this episode is finding the truth no matter the cost. Another concerns how modern technology affects human interaction. Finally a sense of mystery around every corner.

Paradigmatic Analysis

The Police	Sherlock
Conventional	Unconventional
Safety	Danger
Slow	Fast
Wrong	Right